Climate Champions: Calling NGOs with innovative climate solutions

The India Climate Collaborative (ICC), founded in 2020 by philanthropists and industry leaders, is a first-of-its kind collaborative committed to the climate ecosystem in India. It unlocks individual and corporate philanthropic capital, identifies catalytic climate priorities, and creates a connective infrastructure for impactful funding.

The ICC’s Earth Exponential platform is an initiative that curates and vets high-impact climate projects in India. This platform has been designed with the aim of demystifying the climate ecosystem for funders and corporate philanthropy (CSR) by presenting them with non-profits implementing projects and programs with clearly articulated outcomes and impact metrics. The platform currently features 20 projects across five key solution areas: cities, farms, jobs, nature and resilience.

Objective of the campaign:

As part of its Earth Exponential (EE) initiative, the ICC aims to source innovative climate solutions that align with the geographies and themes mentioned below. Solutions and concept notes will be shortlisted by the Earth Exponential team based on various project-specific criteria and added to the Earth Exponential’s Solutions Bank. These solutions will be presented to CSR funders.

Shortlisting and evaluation do not constitute or imply a commitment to provide funding or a guarantee of securing funding. Funding is subject to the availability of funds and the interest of CSR funders.

Target audience:

NGOs operating in the development sector that focus on projects related to climate change or incorporate a climate change perspective into addressing broader issues.

Target sectors and target geographies:

For details on the target sectors and geographies of this campaign, please refer to this document.

Key takeaways:

• Increased funding opportunities: Selected concept notes will be presented to CSR donors by the EE team, gaining access to a broader funding network, and thereby increasing funding prospects.

• Enhanced project concept notes: These notes will be considered for inclusion in Earth Exponential’s Solution Bank, using a standardized template.

• Strengthened climate lens and MEL framework: The selected concept notes may be developed into full proposals with ICC’s help, integrating a climate perspective and strengthening Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks.

• Use of project collaterals: NGOs can use the project collaterals co-developed with ICC for their own fundraising efforts.

• Orientation session: Sattva IPN and EE will conduct an orientation for selected NGOs, offering access to resources, toolkits, updates, learning sessions, partner programs, and visibility through campaigns.

Eligibility criteria and selection process:

To be eligible, organisations must be not-for-profit, fully compliant with CSR regulations (e.g., holding 12A and 80G certifications), and operational across multiple locations, including cities, towns, districts, or states. Previous experience in implementing similar projects with a climate focus preferred.

How to register on IPN?

• Sign up on the India Partner Network (IPN) platform. NGO partners can log in if already registered.
• Fill in the Organisation Profile sections "Basic" and "Compliance". It is mandatory for the NGO partner to add details in the Basic and compliance sections (and reach a 100% profile Profile Completion state) to access the campaign application form.
• In case your organisation already has a 100% profile, please click on the campaign registration link. You can can also access the campaign by clicking on our events and campaigns sections on the top bar on the platform.
• Click on the register button of the campaign page and fill out the required details. Please note, all submissions must be made through this form, and responses will be collected from there.

Concept notes will be reviewed and shortlisted based on:

• A well-defined problem statement that closely aligns with the identified climate hazards, vulnerabilities, and exposures.

• Clear alignment with climate action priorities in the specified geographies, ensuring a logical connection to the defined problem.

• Clearly defined project outcome metrics and their quantification.

• The alignment of the budget with project activities to effectively achieve the desired outcomes.

• Well-defined sustainability, scalability and replicability strategy for the proposed solution.

Project timelines and budget:

Projects can span multiple years, typically ranging from 1 to 3 years or more, depending on the project's scope. The budget for these projects generally ranges from ₹50 lakhs to ₹1.5 crore per year. However, projects with budgets exceeding this range may be considered if a strong rationale and justification are provided.

Note: The campaign registration will be allowed for fully complete profiles on IPN i.e. the organisations that have uploaded their 12A and 80G certificates.

Click here to know more about how to register for the campaign on IPN.

In case of any queries please feel free to contact himangka@indiaclimatecollaborative.org or aditya@indiaclimatecollaborative.org